A Daughter's Promise
by EricaX
Summary: Gosalyn feels the need to share with her dad what she has seen in the future. Quick story between Drake and Gosalyn that takes place after "Time and Punishment", ep. 52. Pure fluff. One shot. R&R.


A Daughter's Promise

Author's Note: This is pure fluff. Its a little idea that was in my head ever since I watched Time and Punishment, Ep. 52 the other day. Wouldn't leave me alone. Its also a small break from Electrifying Memories. Sorry if they are out of character. I also figured that this would be Drake's rare night's off from Darkwing. Or maybe he just left after the story. I know Drake is a little more egotistic, but I wanted to keep this short and breif. It would've distracted me from my other stories.

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357 Avian Way was quiet as the timid night air was attacked by lightning bugs. Every now and then a little yellow flash of tiny light would show itself randomly in the darkess as the little bugs flew their way through the sky.

Inside the house, Gosalyn Mallard was exhausted as she slumped down on the living room couch, staring blankly at the tv which had a baseball game on it. She knew the reason for her unnatural tiredness too. It was because she had stayed up way too late the night before. Not to mention going into the future by accident with Quackerjack and Megavolt. It had only been the night before when she had gone into the future, only to see what monster her dear father had become after the loss of his daughter.

It astounded her still, even after being back home for almost a day, how different her father had become. She had accepted her father's punishment for not staying inside the Ratcatcher with pure bliss, seeing as how it could of been truly worse. It also proved that she had returned to her own time, before any nonsense of DarkWarrior Duck appeared.

Darkwing himself had been amazed that night when she gave him a hug just after telling her she was grounded for a month. He had looked down at her with wide eyes, but he smiled afterwards and returned her hug.

Drake walked into the living room, having just returned from the Muddlefoots. Apparently Herb and Binkie were having another barbecue that he wouldn't be able to out of going. The look on his face was that of pure annoyment and dread. He collapsed on the couch beside her, knocking her out of her brooding. He looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"What's wrong, Gos? You're awfully quiet. Something happen at school today?" he asked, wanting to know what was wrong with his daughter. He wrapped an arm around the back of the couch, waiting for her answer with a fond smile.

Gosalyn looked up at him. Moments like this were rare, especially at night. His mind was usually set fully on Darkwing. She was surprised he wasn't getting ready to go out. "Nothing's wrong, dad. I'm just tired" she replied indignantly, looking to the tv.

"Well, gee, I wonder why? Maybe because you were up late last night, missy!" he said, but his voice was light, without a note of reprimand. She could even hear a bit of light laughter hidden behind his words. She looked at him again and saw that there was a smile on his beak. He took his hand and ran it through her hair.

"Yeah...maybe..." she sighed. It still unnerved her, to see how gentle her father was now, and then remember who cruel and nasty he had been in the future. Sure, his intentions were good, but his twisted mind made any good deed look deadly. He had taken crime fighting over the edge. To the point where it was a crime to do daily deeds.

"Gos...If something is wrong, you'll tell me, right? You know I'm always here to listen. Sure, I don't always at the time, but if you bug me enough or get me at the right moment, I will. I'll admit, I get caught up in myself sometimes, but that's why I need you to take me down a peg or so when I do" he laughed, playfully punching her on the shoulder. Gosalyn laughed, knowing that was true. "You mean a lot to me, Gos...I don't know what I'd do without you." This statement made Gosalyn freeze as Drake gave her a kiss on the cheek and stood up, heading for the kitchen.

Gosalyn looked over to where her father had just left, watching him go into the kitchen. She knew. She knew that if anything ever happened to her, her father would be crushed. Not only would he be crushed, but he would turn into a phsycopath. Everyone would fear him and his wrath. The words he had just spoken came into her mind and she nodded to herself. Yes, she would tell him. He had the right to know. Besides, maybe it would help keep it from happening even more if he knew what would happen to himself.

She got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen, where Drake was washing the dishes that needed to be done. She cleared her throat, which she had hoped would grab his attention. It didn't. She stood there a moment, wondering what the best way to get his attention would be, when an idea came to her. She grabbed a stool from under the table and dragged it over next to Drake, who watched her with curious eyes. She rolled up her sleeves, and sank her hands into the hot soapy water next her father's. She grabbed a plate and a nearby washcloth and started cleaning it.

"Okay, what do you want?" asked Drake, getting suspicious. "I'm not going to un-ground you, so don't even--"

"That's not it, dad" she interupted him. "I have something to tell you...And once I tell you, you'll understand a little more why I'm doing this." Drake only blinked at her with curioustiy as his daughter began her tale.

"The other night, dad, I accidently got sent into the future with Quackerjack and Megavolt's Time Top. We ended up going twenty years into the future." Drake looked as though he was about to interject, his face contorted with anger, but Gosalyn pressed on. "In the future...Well, your future self had assumed that I had run away when you couldn't find me. Launchpad was there. He told me all this. He said that you had lost the will to stop crime fighting when you had lost me. But then one day, there was this little girl who was being picked on by some creep. You jumped to her rescue and saved her doll, giving it back to her. After that, you changed..."

"Changed?" inquired Drake. She had his full attention now.

"You found your reason of being again, but it was off. You took crime fighting over the edge. Too extreme. You managed to defeat all the villains. Even Negaduck. But you weren't yourself. Once they were all taken care of, you started throwing people in jail for jaywalking and not flossing. You gained control of the whole city. You even changed your name to DarkWarrior Duck. You had control of the entire city. Nothing took place that you didn't know about. Citizens went to bed at 8 o' clock." She scowled at the thought.

There was some silence for a while as Gosalyn washed some dishes while Drake dried them. He decided to wait for her to continue, rather than to press the matter. Gosalyn then cleared her throat again and continued.

"You were happy to see me, when I showed up, but you barely spoke to me. All that was on your mind was crime fighting. You hadn't even asked where I had been the whole time! And...you even..." Gosalyn's voice had lowered greatly by this point, her voice held with emotion.

"Gos, what did I do?" he asked, turning to her and placing a hand on her shoulder as he bent down to her level.

"You said I was bad for not cleaning my room, or doing the dishes. And...you almost killed me...with one of your rockets that you always had with you..." Gosalyn bent her head down to the floor, the hands covered with bubbled dish soap. Drake sighed. He took a dry towel and wiped off her hands, taking the plate that was in her hand and setting it into the sink. He picked her up and took her back to the couch, setting her on his lap as he sat down.

"Gos, listen to me...That wasn't me. Something had obviously happened to me while you were gone. Something that changed me completely. But honey, I can assure you, I would never hurt you. And you're not bad. You're my sweet, high-spirited little girl whom I love very much" he hugged her close at these words, her back against his stomach. "But at the same time, you must realize how devistated I must have been to change so drastically like that. You mean so much to me, Gos."

Gosalyn turned around in her spot so that she was facing Drake. "Then it's a promise. I promise that I will never leave you! I promise that I will never make you have to feel the pain of losing me! Cause I know what it's like to lose someone and I don't want you to feel it! I lost my parents and grandfather, but I refuse to lose you too!" With that promise said, she burried her face into his chest.

He rubbed her back in circles for several minutes as his chin rested gently on her head. She wasn't crying, but she felt like it. But she knew her father was safe and wouldn't turn into DarkWarrior Duck as long as she was around. She snuggled deeper into his warmth, until she fell into a deep sleep.

Drake looked down to see that she was asleep and chuckled softly to himself. He gently stood up and took her upstairs where he tucked her inside her bed, after manuvering around the traps set up in her room, and kissed her goodnight. "Good night, my little sweet girl." He left the room, humming the tune of her grandfather's lullaby she had taught him the first time they met.


End file.
